Still



April 23, 1946. P. c. MORSE, 2,39 ,8

' STILL Filed June 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v f1g 1 INVENTOR. PAUL C. Manse.

BY 5 MM :EM

19 TTORNE YS,

P P. c. MORSE STILL Filed June 8, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' u INVENTOR. PA /1. C. MORSE By @wmq,

A T'TORNEYS Patented Apr. 23, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT {OFFICE ,I 'STI LL V Paul C. Morse, San Francisco, Calif. Application June 8, 1943, Serial No..49|),029,

2 Claims. (01. 202-5189) This invention relates to a still, and has for ob ects the provision of a compact, efficient and economically made device for condensing sea water or other water having impurities therein. This device is provided with means for more efficiently cooling the steam than heretofore and which device also has provision for maintaining a supply of hot water for replenishing the boiler.

, Other objects and advantages will appear in the drawing and in the description. r

In the drawings,

I Fig. 1 is apart sectional, part elevational view of a condenser embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig. l but with part of the top receptacle thereof broken away to disclose structure below thetop.

In detail, the still illustrated comprises four principal parts that may be identified in order from the top down as a receptacle for cooling 7 tioned is most convenient where it is supplied or i is available. l

The boiler 4 has cylindrical lateral walls l0 and a bottom The base 6 may also be cylindrical and co-extensive with the walls II], but extends below the bottom H to a point about even with the source of heat, such as the upper side of can 9 so as to afford some protection to said source of heat from any wind. that may be present. Where only three legs are employed the boiler is more readily supported on a relatively uneven surface, but any number of legs or any other suitable support may be employed,

The receptacle 3 for condensed steam has cylindrical walls I2 that are preferably coaxial with the walls of the boiler and said walls l2 are also of substantially the same diameter as the walls of the boiler 4.

Preferably the receptacle 3 carries the cover |3 for the boiler at its lower end, which cover is of generally frusto-conical shape with its larger diameter end resting on the upper edges of the walls Ill, and which latter end carries a depending flange I4 embracing the upper marginal portion of walls l0. Thus'the receptacle 3 may be lifte from walls II] for cleaning the boiler. Y v

The bottom-l5 of the receptacle 3 is also frustoconical in shape and is spaced above the top l3 of the boiler. The top l3 and bottom |5 are preferably identical in shape and their smaller diameter ends. are respectively uppermost so that the walls of each'extend divergently downward. The ,edges of .the bottom l5 may be brazed or secured in any suitable manner to wall l2, and an openlended' vertically disposed tube I6 is supported in the coaxial, centralopening of the top I3 and bottom IS. ,The lower end of said tube |6is about at thev edges of the central opening in top l3, While the'upper end of said tube extends a distance above thesmaller diameter and of the bottom |5.,

Between the lower, larger diameter ends of top l3 and bottom l5 the walls l2 are formed with a .pluralityof air inlet openings I l. Opening I! ably somewhat greater than that ofuthe bottom I5 orthe top l3 of the boiler. The lower edges of said wall l9 may be brazed or soldered, or secured in any other suitable manner to walls l8 along a line that may beabout level with the top .of tube IS.

The top wall I9 is formed with a plurality of equally spaced slots thatextend generally radially relative to the central vertical axis of said top wall. In the device shown in the drawings there. are six of these slots and the slots of one adjacent pair. thereof, one slot of which is indicated at 20 in Fig. 1, extendto the side |8 at the lower edge of wall l9, while the remainder of the slot 2| terminate at their outer ends, a uniform distance from said wall I 9. The inner ends of all of the slots 20, 2| terminate the same distance from the apex of the wall I 9.

Each of the slots 2| iscovered by an upstanding, flattened hollow member generally desigthe wall h l9 along the elongated opposite edges of each islotl l'. The upper-edges of plates 23 are substantially horizontal and are connected by'a top strip 24, while the remaining edges of said plates are vertical and are connected by a vertical strip 25. The plates 23 and strips 24, 25 completely seal each of slots 2! against any leakage past the top l9, but steam may pass through the slots 2| and into the hollow members formed by by said plates and strips. The end or vertical strips 25 are spaced from the walls Hi to permit passage of water between said strips and walls as will later be described (Fig. 2).

The two adjacent slots 20 are covered bysimilar members generally designated 26, except that the triangular, vertical, opposed plates 21 of each member extend to walls l8 at their vertical outer edges so that the space between said adjacent slots may contain water up to the level of the upper edges of the plates 21, and which upper' edges of each pair of said plates are.connected by strips 28 that extend from the upper edges of slots 20 to the walls 58. through the slots, 20 and into the space between each pairof opposed plates Z'Lbutthe steam cannot escape from such space upwardly'past top l9 and past'said members 22, 26;

The adjacent pair of members 26 and the side wall l8 between said members coact with the wall is to form a receptacle 29 for water, the bottom of whichis said wall 19 and which wall slants downwardly. A plate 30 extends over the said members 23 and slants downwardly from walls I3 toward the inner ends of said members. Flanges 3i may extend over the opposite outwardly facing sides of said members 26 for positioning said plate. The inner edgeof plate 29is cut away as at 32 (Fig. 2), between the inner ends of mem bers 28 to leave a passageway 33 (Fig. 1) for water to flow into. the receptacle 29.

The upper receptacle I may have cylindrical side walls :35 of substantially the same diameter as walls I8. Also a flange 36 of lesser diameter than walls 35 may slidably fit inside the upper end of the condenser so that the receptacle i will have a shoulder 31 resting on the upper edges of walls !B.

At about said shoulder 31 the outer edges of athe conical top wall l9 therebelow. Thus an annular passageway is. provided for water to flow from bottom 38 over annular edge 40 and onto the conical wall 19 for flowing over the latter.

The wall l2 of. the compartment for condensed steam is formed with an outlet adjacent the lower edge of the bottom H in which is secured a fitting 42 provided with a swivel joint 43 for a discharge pipe 44. This pipe 44 is normally in the position 45 indicated by dot-dash line in Fig. 1 when no water is being drawn from the compartment 3. To withdraw water, the pipe 44 is merel swung downward to its full line position. shown in Fig; 1. The joint 43 is preferably a conventional friction joint so that the pipe 44 will stay in any position to which it is swung without holdingthe same.

The wall 58 outwardly of the receptacle 29 has an outlet near the bottom of wall I9 that communicates with a waste drain pipe .46 that may lead to any desired point for draining water at all times from all .of the space above the wall l9 except that between the members 28.

In the bottom of receptacle 29, which bottom is that portion of wall l9 that .extends between members 26, is a dischargeoutlet. 41 thatcommunicates with a pipe 4Bthat leads tola point. cen- Thus steam may pass.

trally over the hollow tube [6 where a branch 49 extends downwardly and opens into said tube It. A valve 50 at the juncture between tube 48 and branch 49 is adapted to open and close the pipe 48 to passage of water in receptacle 29 to branch 49 for replenishing the boiler with water as desired.

The valve 50 has a stem 5| that extends to outside the walls l8 and which carrie a handle 52 at its outer end for manually controlling the flow of water from receptacle"2 9'to the boiler. This stem may. extend through a tube 53 that is sealed relative to the stem by the usual packing, and

" that is also sealed relative to the walls l8 and branch 49 so that no steam or water will leak from said tube to the outside.

Inpperation, when pipe 44 is in position 45 and the boiler 4 isprovided with water, the heat from source 9 will create steam that will rise through tube'lfi and into the compartment 3. The operator will supply the upper receptacle I withcool water from anyjdesired source, which water will cool the wall l9'andthe walls of members 22,28 to condense the steam that contacts said wall. The steam so condensed will flow down the underside of wall [9 for collection on the bottom !5 to the height of tube I6. 7 V

' Some of the cooling water that is distributed through the central opening 40 of the bottom 38 will flow through passage 33 into receptacle.29. This water in receptacle 29, being held there, will become heated from the steam therebelow and as the water in the boiler is used up the operator may replenish it with hot water from receptacle The spacing between the edges of opening.40 in the top bottom of the upper receptacle is such as to provide a uniform distribution of water over the top I 9 and some of which water willalso flow over the members 22.

The plate 30 'over receptacle 29 is slanted to prevent any great" amount of the cooling water from flowing thereover so as to retain the heat in the receptacle29.

The provision of member 22, 26 provides for greater cooling area forthe steam than would otherwise be provided;

-As it is desirable to insulate the boilerfrom the compartment 'thereover, the air space between walls [3, l4 provides for such insulation, and openings i1 permit air to freely enter the space between said walls.

Where the device of this invention is for use as an emergency condenser'for life rafts, and the like, it may be no larger thanthe size shown in the drawings, and as all main parts thereof are concentric, provision may easily be made for storing the same on a life raft or life boat, or the like. 0f course, the size may vary according to its intended use Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A stillcomprising a hollow vertical cylindrical body; a, plurality of Vertically spaced wallsin said body dividing the interior thereof into a plurality of superposed enclosed compartments, the lowermost of which constitutes a boiler-for water to be boiled; the adjacent pair of said walls immediately above said boiler being centrally apertured and a vertical open-ended tube secured in such apertures providing a passageway for con- 7 ducting steam to above theuppermost wall of said pair; the said. u'ppermostfwall of said pair being the bottom Wall. of the .co-mpartment for condensateof such steam; openings formed insaid cylindrical vbody communicating with the space between said adjacent pair of walls for circulation of atmospheric air therein to cool said uppermost wall of said pair; the one of said walls defining the top of said compartment for said condensate bein generally conical with its apex uppermost for passage of water by gravity over its inclined upper sides to its lower annular edges; and a discharge opening for such water formed in the wall of said cylindrical body adjacent said lower edge; a plurality of hollow members projecting upwardly from said top of the condensate compartment and opening at their lower sides downwardly into the said condensate compartment; said members being flattened vertically and extending radially relative to the central axis of said conical top, one adjacent pair thereof extending to the walls of said body thereby providing a receptacle between the said pair for water; and a valved conduit from said receptacle to said tube for feeding water from said receptacle through said conduit and tube into said boiler.

2. A still comprising a hollow vertical cylindrical body; a plurality of vertically spaced walls in said body dividing the interior thereof into a plurality of superposed enclosed compartments, the lowermost of which constitutes a boiler for being the bottom wall of the water to be boiled; the adjacent pair of said walls immediately above said boiler being centrally apertured and a vertical open-ended tube secured in such apertures providing a passageway for conducting steam to above the uppermost wall of said pair; the said uppermost wall of said pair compartment for condensate of such steam; openings formed in said cylindrical body communicating with the space between said adjacent pair of walls for circulation of atmospheric air therein to cool said uppermost wall of said pair; one of the said walls defining the top of said compartment for said condensate being generally conical with its apex uppermost for passage of water by gravity over its inclined upper sides to its lower annular edge; a discharge opening for such water formed in the wall of said cylindrical body adjacent said lower edge; and acentrally open annular wall above said conical top wall supported on said body with the edges of its central opening spaced around the apexial end of said top wall for distributing water to be poured on said annular wall to the sides of said conical top wall for downward passage over the latter.

PAUL C. MORSE. 

